Unpacking the Social Context of School Choice for Parents: Preferences, Information, and Participation

• In Event: Roundtable Session 100

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

The landscape of charter schools continues to shift as the number of charter schools—and parents who want to enroll their kids in them—continues to grow. This increase in charter schools has led to the question of whether the distinctive features associated with charter schools -- autonomy and accountability – expand channels of information for consumers, “match” parent priorities with school programs, increase parent satisfaction, and address issues of access and equity in districts with public choice options. In this symposium, we pay specific attention to parental choice preferences and patterns of involvement, the mobility of families and students among school types, and the strategies charter schools develop to attract and involve parents.

Sub Unit

• Division L - Educational Policies and Politics / Section 4: Market Based Reforms and Fiscal Issues

Chair

• Christopher A. Lubienski, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Papers

• The Construction of Choice: How Parents Assemble Information and Make School Choices - Marc L. Stein, Johns Hopkins University

• Private School Parents Switching to Charter Schools: Avenues for Renewed School Diversity and Community? - Ellen B. Goldring, Vanderbilt University; Xiu Cravens, Vanderbilt University

• An Examination of What Informs Latino Parents’ Decisions to Choose a Charter School - Madeline Mavrogordato, Michigan State University

• A New Localism Effect? How Policy Contexts and Charter Mission Shape Parent Involvement Strategies - Claire E. Smrekar, Vanderbilt University